An effort to enhance penalties associated with violent protests, create new crimes when mobs attack property or police and make it difficult for cities to trim law-enforcement spending had a rocky legislative debut Wednesday, drawing heated criticism from opponents.

Amid a legal fight about a pre-game prayer, a Senate Republican on Wednesday filed a bill that would require the Florida High School Athletic Association to allow schools to have access to public-address systems before sports competitions.

Less than three months after voters approved a constitutional amendment to raise Florida’s minimum wage, a Senate Republican on Wednesday filed a proposal that could lead to exceptions for some workers.

An influential appointed panel that recommends changes to the Florida Constitution every 20 years is again in the crosshairs of state lawmakers.

With bipartisan support, the Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee on Wednesday backed a proposal (SJR 204) by Sen. Jeff Brandes that would ask Floridians to eliminate the 37-member Constitution Revision Commission.

With the bill’s sponsor saying the coverage hasn’t kept up with the times, the latest effort to end Florida’s no-fault auto insurance system chugged through its first Senate committee on Tuesday.

The Senate Banking and Insurance Committee backed the proposal (SB 54), which seeks to replace a requirement that motorists carry personal-injury protection coverage --- key to the no-fault system --- with mandatory bodily injury coverage.

An estimated 1,700 in-person school days were lost as a result of COVID-19 isolation and quarantining and one person died after a two-day wrestling tournament that featured athletes from 10 high schools across three Florida counties, according to federal study released Tuesday.

After an outbreak of 3,405 cases in 2019, Florida reported 1,009 cases of hepatitis A in 2020. Here is a breakdown of the counties that had the most cases in 2020 of the contagious liver disease: 

--- Duval: 209

--- Escambia: 126

Citizens Property Insurance Corp. leaders Tuesday approved a proposed 7.2 percent average rate increase for residential policyholders, while also backing a plan that could lead to substantially higher rates in the future for new customers of the state-backed insurer.

The Citizens Board of Governors took the steps as it faces a surge in additional policies amid troubles in the state’s private property-insurance market. The troubles have driven up private rates and caused companies to pull back on covering homes, spurring customers to turn to Citizens.

A controversial Senate proposal that would require Florida state colleges and universities to survey students about “intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity” on campus cleared its first hurdle Tuesday.

What isn’t clear is what would be done with the survey data if the bill ultimately passes.